PRODUCT: Barilla Microwaveable Meals: Pasta In 60 Seconds | The Nibble Webzine Of Food Adventures - The Nibble Webzine Of Food AdventuresPRODUCT: Barilla Microwaveable Meals: Pasta In 60 Seconds | The Nibble Webzine Of Food Adventures
Just pour the sauce tray on top of the pasta and you’ve got a tasty pasta entrée. Shown: one cooked entrée and two packages waiting for the microwave. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE.
It’s new, it’s clever and it’s a real time saver. After just 60 seconds in the microwave, you can enjoy a quality pasta entrée, thanks to Barilla’s clever Microwaveable Meals packaging.
The innovation: a pasta meal that is shelf stable (no refrigeration required), portable (toss the package into your bag and head out) and ready to eat in a minute.
At $3.29 per package (one serving), this may not be an everyday solution for many families. But when children are screaming for food, or you are extremely time strapped, it can be a godsend. The mezze penne size used in most of the varieties is good for small mouths as well as large ones.
Barilla microwaveable meals are made from the same 100% natural ingredients as Barilla dry pasta and jarred sauces. Now in select stores in the microwavable meals aisle, the choices include:
Mezze Penne with Tomato & Basil Sauce
Mezze Penne with Traditional Marinara Sauce
Mezze Penne with Spicy Marinara Sauce
Whole Grain Fusilli with Vegetable Marinara Sauce
Whole Grain Mezze Penne with Tomato & Basil Sauce
Each 9-ounce package contains one serving of pasta and sauce.
All meals provide between 9g and 11g of protein.
The pasta is an excellent* source of fiber.
The sauce is a good or excellent* source of vitamin A.
The whole grain varieties are a good* source of iron.
All meals are 320 calories or less.
The innovative packaging of Barilla microwaveable meals maintains the food’s taste, texture and freshness for a shelf life of 12 months, at room temperature. The pasta and sauce are stored in separate trays, allowing consumers to use as much or as little sauce as they like.
We enjoyed the meals, and are especially pleased that there are two whole grain varieties (if you’re going to eat high-carb pasta and bread, make them whole grain for a nutritional benefit). We have just two nits:
No grated cheese.
Sustainability: That clever packaging creates two pieces of plastic waste, in addition to the outer cardboard package and the plastic film over the food. But both trays are #5 plastic, which is recyclable in many communities.
For additional information on Barilla microwaveable meals, visit BarillaUS.com.
Find more of our favorite pastas, sauces and recipes in our Gourmet Pasta Section. *Based on the Percent Daily Values, which are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, as per the Nutrition Facts Panel.
